Still boils down to Bias's death. He would have been at his peak and things would have been a lot different.

Put Len Bias and Reggie Lewis on those teams in the early 90's and see what you have.

it is impossible to blame anyone for two excellent basketball players dying.

Like I said in Fiercy's damaged and ignorant thread:

1. You cannot expect a championship team to have the #2 pick. Bias's death was awful but the lucky result of a trade for borderline starter Gerald Henderson back before teams smartly put protection on draft picks. Bird, Parish and McHale were built after the team was bad for 2-3 years and through the draft and a shrewd trade.

2. It was not like Bird or McHale had died. A championship team lost a 1st rd pick who never played for them. The 1990's were four year away. I am talking about what happened leading up to the 90's that set the team back more than crying over what could have been? Bias death CRUASHED Red. Bias was his local Baltimore boy who would be his black grandson the way Russ was his black son. He was about to be 70 year old and was NEVER the same decision maker again.

3. Lewis was 28 and like a slightly better Jeff Green in 1993. Interesting they both had heart issues. If you got the absolute best they could be you had a #2 player and still needed a superstar. If you got the drifiting not aggressive Reggie/JG you had a #4 player. So they could only be counted on as the 3rd best player on a contender. It was tragic and horrible and unlike Bias, Reggie was part of the team, Celtic family and the 'rebuild' as the only all-star after the big 3 were gone (like Rondo now). But, the team still needed to rebuild even had Reggie lived and probably would have been forced to trade him like will Rondo.

**Stern keeping his contract $ on our cap (obviously money should still have gone to his wife) was absolute trash and a shameful black eye on his time as GM as it was all pettiness and a grudge with Red and not fair to an entire organization and fanbase.**

I don't disagree with most of your points.

Lewis though was a lot better than Green. A lot.

Career per 36 minutes he averaged 19.4 a game on 49 percent shooting.

In Greens career per 36 he averages 15 points a game on 44 percent shooting.

Lewis was far better than Green. And my point about Bias is that no one knows what would have happened if he had not died. He could have been a superstar. He could have stayed with Boston.

Put him on the Celtics in the early 90's along with Bird, Lewis, Parish and Mchale?

one thing I have to touch on....it has been said that a "championship calibre team" should not be expected to land a #2 pick....

the Lakers added Magic with the #1 and a couple of years later (as champions) added Worthy with a top pick....it does happen....in Boston's case, Red made a shrewd trade of Henderson....

and after "Max" dogged it with his rehab and fell out of Red's "good grace" he was traded for Walton....and another banner...(by the way, I loved Max....still do...met him years ago over a weekend fundraiser put on by Jo Jo White....Max is one helluva guy....ditto Jo Jo...)

Before Rick Pitino came along, what did the Celtic front office do from 1992 to 1996?

Only Antoine Walker became an All-Star among those 1st round picks.

The busts included Acie Earl and Eric Montross.

Also, the Celts tried to make the playoffs even when they clearly had no chance of winning a championship by signing Xavier McDaniel and a 35-year old Dominique Wilkins.

The Celtic front office of the early to mid-1990s was only concerned about the financial aspect of the game.

They really didn't care about winning a championship.

Making the playoffs was more important because it would mean extra income.

we had m.l. carr..chris ford..both i think were horrible coach'sand you add rick pitino...i still think pitino is a good coach...but we gave him to much power to keep trading players...and bias and lewis were the main part that we took the hard fall...bias was to be the one to take over for bird...i don't think gavitt was to blame here.